Study in the time of COVID-19 (2019/20 intake): online learning, the rule of six and who knows what's next? Anything could happen!

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Following on from the previous thread as our young adults start their second year at universities up and down the land (and some overseas too!).

Where do the colds come from? I don't know anyone who has been ill with a cold for months and months. Then kids go back and boom...lots of colds. I know there's sickness doing the rounds at the primary schools too. Where do they hide?

Ds3 has had a bit of a cold (year 7) several of his friends have had colds and their parents had them Covid tested. But I know it's only a cold. He's coughing a little bit, he always does when he's had a cold. He's not feeling poorly at all though. I hope he's not sent home. They said on tv this morn that some schools are sending children home with runny noses. Parents are obviously panicking and testing. One of the reason the testing system has blocked up.

@simbobs couldn’t agree more re normal colds.

It seems to me that schools (and any other settings with similar rules) have got to change the “have a test if you have any symptoms and don’t come back until you do” for a couple of reasons: a) because of lack of tests b) because colds are usual at this tone of year c) negative test on one day does not necessarily mean the person would not test positive the next or a few days later given what we know about incubation.

@IcanbewhatIwant that's exactly what I think. As a parent you know when your child just has a cold versus a virus, which is when pre Covid they would be kept off school. And your point about colds is indeed a mystery. My DS has just recovered from a summer cold. It hadn't occurred to me to point out that if he caught the cold he could have caught Covid by the same means, though camping in damp places can't have helped.

It was said earlier in the pandemic that there might be fewer colds this winter due to increased hygiene and distancing, but that remains to be seen.

Completely agree @simbobs. Loads of children going off sick in schools I work with (plus chicken pox at our place ) - I fall the families are trying to get tests, no wonder there’s none left!

DS is off to the beach today with his gf too - think he’s still planning to go back to Durham at or after the weekend.

Thanks for the new thread newmodel Elder two DC back at uni and waiting for online to start. Took DC3 back on Sunday but new accommodation block not completed, so left them with a few things and have to go back down on Thursday to drop off remainder of DS stuff. However he has seen his room and it is larger than last year so at least if he's spending more time there he's got more space! He is impressed they have 4 fridges in the kitchen for 10 of them!
DS4 loving sixth form- at this point we would be looking at open days for this year but not sure how thats going to pan out???

@AWanderingMinstrel, a lot of the universities are having their virtual open days round about now (I know that Bristol is in the middle of its week of virtual events and Kent has one coming up on October 3rd). Has your DS at least signed up for some of those? Also there are no general restrictions on travel at the moment, if any of the locations of universities he is interested in are within day trip distance?

Thanks for the new thread. Lovely to hear news about everyone's dcs returning. Dd has been sooo keen to get away from home and move into her student house in York. While she's been home she's worked her socks off in the village shop - right through lockdown up until last week - while her boss furloughed the regular employees. As we're in the Lake District you can imagine how busy the shop got after lockdown ended. She's now spending a few days in an Airbnb in Scarborough with 5 other school friends who attend Yorkshire universities and then they're straight back to various student houses. I have no idea whether that breaks the current rules or not but she wouldn't have listened if I'd suggested it did. She's in a house of 6 in York - so no one can visit, as someone mentioned above. I think 2 have bf/gfs from other houses so she was talking about them doing deals for having them to visit/stay overnight etc - one flatmate goes to their gf, the other brings their bf to stay, and vice versa.

DS4 hasn’t done the virtual open days marchingfrogs but am thinking we might hit a few towns in October half term to get a feel for what he likes- he definitely wants a campus and not more than 6 hours train from home so that narrows it down a lot 😂😂😂

@Dunlurking ha musical beds! I had thought that would be the only solution too but it does rather require a level of organisation and sticking to arrangements that makes for a very regimented approach (and I think takes some of the spontaneity out of young love and romance)!

Loving all the DC doing trips to the seaside! The weather is good for it at the moment.

Well it was up until today. It has been very dull and cold today.

Lovely, warm and sunny here @Ginfordinner - lucky us!

It's OK for those DC who have a significant other at the same uni or uni town. They can potentially stay over at one another 's place, but in DS's flat he and at least one other have a gf that lives elsewhere, so they are either to meet at uni accommodation or at gf's home. I would be very surprised if DS or those of his friends that I know will be willing to observe this particular rule.

I only found out yesterday that there will be 7 in DS's flat rather than 6. Originally another friend was going to live with them but he dropped out. The lads assumed that the 7th room would not be let as it was known to be a friendship group, but it has been allocated to a foreign student. Oh my! This could go either way. There were tons of surplus rooms last year, hence the surprise.

Think how often friends end up staying over because it's safer for them to crash at a more convenient house when they've been out late than it is to go home alone? Or a couple of people are due to go away but their plans fall through at the last minute - their spaces in a house have already been filled for the duration of their absence but suddenly they're back and they've exceeded 'rule of six' number?

It's not going to be done on purpose necessarily but how many students are a) that organised and b) stick rigidly to plans?

You are right @NewModelArmyMayhem18 .. they won't maliciously break rules, but a few beers, being disorganised etc ... this just isn't going to happen !! ... and they certainly won't tell us !

And I won't tell on them either. That would have been me back in the day.

My DS was asked to book in and collect his keys this week, though he had to pay his deposit and first month's rent first. I mean borrow from us as he has no money. He went on the train, isn't moving in for 10 days, but has decided to stay there overnight. So much for the lecture on not coming home in term time. This is the equivalent, after all.

Also if some of them are sensible ( we can live in hope) and if they have had a few too many drinks ( in pubs that are still open) safer to stay at someone’s house nearby and break the rule, than drive a car or ride a bike home worse for wear!

Exactly @AWandering Minstrel. I can think of so many occasions, even when I was no longer a student, when I stayed over with friends because it was easier to do so. If it's a toss up between being safe and breaking the rule of six - hmm there's no contest!

Dd finally managed to enroll at Newcastle and book her accommodation arrival slot. And now I here they’re going to bring in local restrictions - 10pm curfew and no socialising outside your household.

I hope she likes her flat mates!

There’s a ban on households mixing in the North East, possibly from Friday. Dds friends (in other houses) arriving at the weekend. She’s cheesed off.

Hello Jelly - crossed posted! Is she first or second year? Where is her accomodation?

Zanda- first year, Windsor Terrace

Ah lovely. Windsor terrace will be more sociable and it is right near town. Good place to be in the current ‘climate’.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 I hadn't thought about the crashing over at other houses.

So sorry for those in the North East who will be arriving just as tighter restrictions start. I'm sure we'll all get them soon anyway.

I've been busy lecturing my dcs about allowing recovery time if they get ill. My ds is doing a Dance Performance Masters this year and I'm paranoid about him getting Long Covid, or a myocarditis and heart damage through trying to carry on with his dance classes and rehearsals as if nothing is wrong. I hope staff and admin at universities and colleges are alert to ill students, or even not so ill students, and can encourage/warn them to dial down their activities to allow recovery.

Hi JellyBabiesSaveLives - DS also starting a Newcastle - he’s in Turner Court, which wasn’t one of his top choices, but he’s been chatting away to his flat mates on WhatsApp so hopefully will have some sort of bond with them before he starts. Very disappointing news tonight

My 4th Yr DD is in Newcastle, and lived in Windsor Terrace in 1st Yr but now lives in private rented with just one friend. Lonely! "